


Gaze in Fascination

by toomanyunfinishedfics



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Angst, Father's Day, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I already wrote all of the prompts so I think that should be all the tags I need, If I missed anything though I'll add it later, M/M, Me realizing three days late that I never tagged Akira for the Day 1 prompt: whoops, Not going to tag P5 though since it's just for one chapter lol, Of course pretty much all of the prompts have the standard, Post-Relationship, Post-game (no spoilers), Rainy, Snowy - Freeform, Sound, Souyo Adopt Akira AU, Souyo Week 2020, Sunny - Freeform, Taste, Vague spoilers for November, Yosuke's Birthday, and, because those are pretty much the only things I know how to write lmao, cloudy - Freeform, feel, foggy - Freeform, scent, sight, stormy - Freeform, windy - Freeform, with some small hints of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24842092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toomanyunfinishedfics/pseuds/toomanyunfinishedfics
Summary: Through rain or shine, through the good times and the bad, Souji and Yosuke will always have each other’s backs.(A collection of 7 separate one-shots)
Relationships: Hanamura Yosuke/Narukami Yu, Hanamura Yosuke/Persona 4 Protagonist, Hanamura Yosuke/Seta Souji
Comments: 82
Kudos: 106





	1. Day One: Father’s Day/Cloudy

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Souyo Week 2020](https://souyoweek2020.tumblr.com/post/614968702267441153/souyo-week-2020-announcement-hello-everyone-we)! I was already working on [Signs of Love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24372256/chapters/58780705) so the birthday prompt in that list would fall on Yosuke’s birthday, but of course I couldn’t pass up on participating in Souyo week either sldfkj so I guess I’m just going to have to double upload on Yosuke’s birthday ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ ~~and yes I did title one Souyo prompt fic Signs of Love and another Souyo prompt fic a line from Signs in Love I’m Totally Original I swear~~
> 
> So since I'm doing a self-imposed challenge for Signs of Love where all the prompts are going to be pre-relationship, I decided to do another self-imposed challenge for Souyo week and write all of the prompts as post-relationship, plus with the added bonus of incorporating both sets of prompts because I apparently like to make my life a living hell lmao;; Hopefully everyone will enjoy what I came up with for each day!! ;u;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for this prompt I decided to go with an AU that was mentioned once about Souji and Yosuke living together and adopting Akira, which I thought was an absolutely adorable idea ;u; Kind of had to fudge the ages a bit (I'm thinking Souji & Yosuke are currently around 25-26 while Akira is 16, and they adopted Akira around when he was 10-11?), and I'm not entirely sure about the laws regarding adoption in Japan, but I figured there wasn't any harm in hand-waving a few details for a small one-shot lol;;

It was a dreary day, befitting of the first father’s day without their son around to celebrate.

The knowledge that Akira was forced to leave their home in Inaba--for a crime that he never even committed, one that neither Souji nor Yosuke had been able to argue against with the courts so firmly opposing their son--weighed heavily on them each day, even as they worked tirelessly alongside Naoto and Mitsuru to help clear Akira’s name. The fact that there was a holiday that would highlight Akira’s absence from their home and their lives, though, was difficult to ignore.

No matter how hard they threw themselves into investigating and into their day jobs, there was nothing that could ease the pain of knowing that their son was trapped in Tokyo for an entire year without them.

It was hard to celebrate father’s day when they both felt like failures as fathers, for not being able to protect their son.

Most of their updates on how Akira was doing came from Sojiro--Yosuke’s old part-time boss from back when he was going through university, who had agreed to take Akira in for the year after a lot of begging and reassurances that Akira wouldn’t cause him any trouble--since Akira, for whatever reason, had avoided contacting them ever since he first arrived in Tokyo. It didn’t make the separation any easier, not even being able to hear their son’s voice over the phone or to speak with him over texts, but they tried to at least take some solace in the fact that Akira was alive and well--and was apparently even starting to make friends, according to their conversations with Sojiro.

So when Souji’s phone rang and Akira’s caller ID came up, he nearly dropped his phone in his haste to answer the call.

“Akira?” Souji answered hesitantly, immediately catching the attention of his husband who scrambled over to his side, the two of them huddling around Souji’s phone as he put the call on speaker. “Aki, are you there?”

There was a long period of silence, and for a moment Souji wondered if Akira had dialed him by mistake--a quick, shared glance with Yosuke showed a similar worry on his face--before a soft voice finally came through the phone.

“ _ Uh… hey dad. Are-- are you guys both there? _ ”

“Yeah, we’re here,” Yosuke replied. “Are you okay? Did something happen? No one’s giving you any trouble, are they? I swear, your father and I will get on the next train over to Tokyo, screw what the courts said--”

“ _ N-no, no, it’s-- I’m fine, you don’t… have to do that. I promise. _ ”

Souji could practically hear the awkward nervousness in Akira’s voice, the same tone that Akira always seemed to take on whenever anyone showed any sort of concern or compassion towards him. It was something that Souji and Yosuke had been working so hard to unteach Akira ever since they adopted him, to help him learn that it was okay to let people worry about you and to let them help you--only for all of this to happen, setting Akira back and undoing all of their hard work in one fell swoop.

It was easy to picture Akira in his mind’s eye: shifting nervously from foot to foot, absentmindedly tugging on his bangs as if trying to hide behind them as he ducked his head, his shoulders hunched just the slightest bit--even just imagining it made Souji’s heart clench with a need to reach out and hug his son, to try and shield him from the cruelty of the world like his own parents had never done for him.

Yet he couldn’t, not with such a huge distance between them--physically, and legally.

“If you’re sure,” Souji replied placatingly, keeping his tone gentle in what was probably the only way he could try and help soothe Akira’s nerves from so far away. “Just remember that we’re here for you, okay?”

There was another moment of silence on the other end of the line, before Akira’s voice quietly carried over through the phone once more.

“ _ I know. _ ” Another beat passed, and then, “ _ I, uh. I’m… sorry I didn’t… call or text sooner. I just-- everything’s been… a lot, but I think-- I think I’m alright now. _ ”

Souji and Yosuke exchanged a worried glance--the fact that Akira had felt the need to add  _ now _ to his assurance, consciously or not, made it clear that Akira  _ hadn’t _ been as okay as Sojiro had assured them that he was over these past two and a half months. They could understand why, of course, since Akira was probably walking on eggshells around Sojiro trying to draw as little attention to himself as humanly possible, but it didn’t make the realization hurt any less.

“Glad to hear it, kiddo,” Yosuke replied with a grin that was only slightly forced, trying to keep his tone lighthearted for Akira’s sake--and he was immediately rewarded with a quiet huff from Akira, the sound more amused than annoyed.

“ _ I’m not a kid, _ ” Akira protested weakly, though both Souji and Yosuke could hear the smile in his tone, the sound coupled with the mental image immediately setting their hearts at ease.

Before Yosuke could tease him any further, Akira quickly pressed on, most likely anticipating his father’s response.

“ _ Anyway, I-- well, I did owe you guys an apology, but that’s not… really why I called. _ ”

There was another few moments of hesitant silence on Akira’s end, but before either Souji or Yosuke could open their mouths to try and coax Akira into telling them whatever he’d called to tell them, Akira managed to compose himself and continue speaking all on his own, even if they had to strain to hear him.

“ _ Happy father’s day. I’m sorry-- _ ” His voice caught for a moment, but he quickly pushed through it. “ _ I’m sorry I can’t be there with you guys, but… I love you both so much. I’m so lucky to have the two best dads in the world. _ ”

Immediately, Souji felt tears beginning to gather in his eyes as a smile worked its way onto his face, and one quick glance over at Yosuke showed that he was having just as much difficulty in keeping himself from getting overly emotional as Souji himself was, if not more.

“We love you too,” Souji replied, keeping his voice as steady as possible as he spoke around the lump in his throat. “We love you so much, and we’re so proud of you. I swear, we’re going to clear your name and bring you home soon.”

“ _ Don’t rush too much, _ ” Akira replied with a soft laugh. “ _ As much as I miss you guys, I’m starting to enjoy being in Tokyo, to be honest. _ ”

“Because you’ve made some new friends?” Souji asked, smiling softly as he heard Akira let out another softer, more embarrassed laugh in response.

“ _ Boss told you, I’m guessing? _ ”

Yosuke grinned. “No need to feel embarrassed--just look at your dad, the guy went around Inaba collecting friends like they were trading cards when he was your age.”

Souji huffed, a light blush coloring his cheeks in embarrassment. “There’s nothing wrong with making friends. Creating strong bonds is important to--”

“Yeah, yeah, we all know about the power of friendship,” Yosuke teased, yelping and laughing as Souji pinched his side.

“Need I remind you that it was the  _ power of friendship _ that led to us getting together in the first place?” Souji replied dryly.

Akira’s laughter over the phone pulled bright smiles from both Souji and Yosuke, and for a moment everything felt normal, as if Akira was just on his way home from school and not miles away living in a cafe on probation.

“ _ I’ve heard the story more than enough times by now, _ ” Akira said, before adding, “ _ though I think dad was onto something with the whole ‘power of friendship’ thing. Getting through these past two months was much easier once I started making some friends-- _ **_actual_ ** _ friends. _ ”

Yosuke’s expression softened in sympathy as he let out a sigh. “Been there, kiddo, so I’m speaking from experience when I say to just hold on to the friends you know will stick by your side, and forget about all the others. Don’t let them not contacting you get you down, alright? If they seriously think that you’re some sort of criminal, then they obviously don’t know you as well as real friends would, anyway.”

“ _ Yeah, you’re right. _ ”

“Of course I am, when am I ever  _ not _ right?” Yosuke replied with a grin.

“ _ Doesn’t dad still have that list from the last time you said that? _ ”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Souji replied, just barely keeping a straight face as Yosuke balked and looked at him with a betrayed expression. “I could always go get it for old time’s sake--”

“Anyway!!” Yosuke hastily interrupted. “My point is, just keep doing what you’re doing, and we’ve got your back no matter what--and if you’re ever worried about anything, or even just want to talk… please,  _ please _ call us.”

“ _ I will, I promise. _ ” Akira hesitated before adding, “ _ I really am sorry. I just… after everything that happened, and with everything that was going on after I got here, I…. _ ”

“It’s okay, Aki,” Souji reassured him. “I promise we’re not upset. We just want you to remember that we love you, and that we’re in your corner, no matter what anyone says or thinks about you.”

“ _ Thanks, dad. That… that really means a lot. _ ”

There was the sudden, distant sound of a bell chiming and voices chattering, and both Souji and Yosuke could immediately hear the smile in Akira’s voice as he continued to speak.

“ _ Sorry, my friends just got here so I’ve got to go. _ ”

“Go ahead, have fun--and I’m sure we don’t need to remind you to stay safe,” Souji added, chuckling as Akira let out a long, faux-annoyed sigh.

“ _ I know, dad, I will, I promise. _ ”

Souji smiled in satisfaction. “Good.”

Yosuke rolled his eyes. “Let the kid live a little, Souji! Don’t listen to him, Aki--go do whatever you want, and just remember: it’s not a crime if you don’t get caught.”

Souji immediately whirled on his husband with a disapproving frown. “ **_Yosuke!_ ** ”

“What? Am I wrong?” Yosuke replied with a shrug, his teasing grin widening as he heard Akira’s unabashed laughter over the phone in response.

“ _ I’ll make sure not to get caught, then, _ ” Akira said in between laughs, taking a moment to let his laughter die down before adding, “ _ Seriously though, I promise I’ll stay out of trouble--and now I really do need to go, my friends are on their way upstairs right now. _ ”

“Make sure to introduce us to them sometime,” Yosuke replied.

“ _ Will do. Love you guys. _ ”

“We love you too, Aki,” Souji replied, at the same time as Yosuke replied, “Love you too, kiddo. Talk to you later.”

With that, the call ended, leaving both Souji and Yosuke staring down at Souji’s phone with a conflicted sense of longing and relief.

Akira was okay. He reached out to them--to wish them a happy father’s day, no less--and he was doing well for himself with friends to support him.

Getting to hear Akira’s voice reassuring them was all they needed to put their minds at ease, and to help put a smile on their faces.

As if to echo their lifted spirits, the clouds outside their window began to part in the sky, revealing a trickle of sunlight that cast a gentle glow into the house--just a small action, but one that unequivocally brightened their day and warmed their hearts.

Now that they’d gotten to speak to their son, it finally felt like a father’s day worth celebrating.


	2. Day Two: Yosuke’s Birthday/Sunny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up with two different approaches to celebrating Yosuke's birthday was a fun challenge, if nothing else lmao;; Hopefully everyone enjoys both this one and the birthday fic in [Signs of Love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24372256/chapters/60136747)! ;u;

It was almost cruel, looking out the window to see the brightly shining sun in the sky and knowing that he was stuck in class on today of all days.

Not that Yosuke was ever really one for celebrating his birthday: even last year, when Souji had been around and he’d started building up a group of genuine friends around him, Yosuke hadn’t even realized his birthday had come and passed until almost a week after the fact, since his parents had been busy with work and he’d been too busy with the case to be aware of what the date was.

This year, however, there was no murder case happening, and Yosuke finally had friends who were more than willing to celebrate his eighteenth birthday with him, which made having to sit through an entire day’s worth of classes feel like absolute _torture_.

At least tomorrow was Sunday, which meant he could enjoy himself to his heart’s content with his friends today after school, and could spend tomorrow relaxing without having to worry about waking up early for school or scrambling to do his homework at the last minute. Granted, he would be even happier if Souji--plus Rise and Naoto, who had both left Inaba shortly after Souji--could be here to celebrate his birthday with him too, but even just knowing that he had Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, and Teddie all looking forward to spending time with him was enough to put a smile on his face.

As soon as the final bell rang, Yosuke was the first to jump up out of his seat, grabbing his books and shoving them haphazardly into his bag before turning his gaze over to Chie and Yukiko, a hint of embarrassment ebbing his excitement as he saw the fond amusement in their gazes.

“What’s the rush, birthday boy?” Chie teased, finishing packing up her own bag and lightly elbowing Yosuke once she moved over to his side. “Your party’s not going anywhere without you, y’know.”

“It’s not going anywhere without me or Chie, either,” Yukiko added, a hint of laughter in her tone. “You can’t throw a party all by yourself.”

“Yeah, plus we don’t want you rushing home and snooping through your gifts!” Chie pointed at Yosuke, her finger hardly a few centimeters from Yosuke’s nose. “Let’s meet up with Kanji, and then we’ll all head out together, got it?”

Yosuke let out a drawn-out sigh, though he could only fake exasperation for so long before a smile worked its way back onto his face.

“Alright, we’ll head out to meet up with Kanji when you guys are ready--but hurry it up!”

Even as Chie and Yukiko laughed in response, Yosuke couldn’t find it in him to be annoyed or offended. Instead, he found himself basking in the relaxed air between them, a friendliness and closeness connecting them that had only barely been forming one year ago from today.

Again, Yosuke found himself longing for Souji--their group would never be complete without him, and more selfishly, _Yosuke_ would never be complete without his partner, his _boyfriend_ (and _god_ did even just thinking about that send a giddy thrill through him), by his side--but Souji’s parents had been adamant about restricting his visits to Inaba, so there was nothing that anyone could do except move forward and count down the days until summer vacation, when Souji would be allowed to return to his true home here in Inaba.

Yosuke knew Souji wouldn’t want him to get mopey and sentimental on his birthday, so the best thing he could do instead was to enjoy his day to the fullest: with lots of smiles, and laughter, and happy memories that he would recount every last minute of for Souji the next time they got to speak to one another.

* * *

As soon as they all arrived at Yosuke’s house, Yosuke immediately knew something was up.

Granted, he didn’t know what exactly that _something_ was, but he figured that his friends must have been planning some sort of surprise with how they kept trying to keep him away from his bedroom with increasingly flimsy excuses.

Of course, it made Yosuke all the more curious to see what they had hidden away in his room (not to mention the fact that they had apparently _gone into his bedroom_ without his permission, though Yosuke was hoping that they’d just left that part up to Teddie and hadn’t all raided his bedroom together), but he decided to be patient for once as he indulged in the group’s distractions-slash-genuine birthday celebrations.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait too long: Teddie came downstairs after a few more minutes, giving Chie what Yosuke could only assume was supposed to be a subtle thumbs-up, before Chie just as subtly jumped up to her feet with a barely-repressed grin.

“Oh yeah, your presents! We _totally_ forgot to bring them down! Why don’t you go upstairs and grab them, Yosuke?”

Yosuke rolled his eyes at Chie’s poor acting, made even worse by the sound of Yukiko descending into a giggle fit.

“Oh, so I’m finally allowed to go up to my own bedroom, now?” Yosuke replied wryly, laughing even as Chie gave him a shove and nearly made him fall over.

“Just get your ass upstairs, Hanamura.” Chie’s grin widened. “You’re gonna _love_ your gift, trust me.”

Well, if Yosuke hadn’t been curious before, he sure as hell was now.

Wasting no more time, Yosuke made his way upstairs and over to his bedroom, tentatively pushing the door open before blinking in stunned surprise at the giant, haphazardly-wrapped box sitting in the middle of his room.

What the hell had they _gotten_ him that was so big? How did they even get it into his room when the box was bigger than the doorframe?

(Teddie lingering upstairs and everyone keeping Yosuke away from his bedroom was suddenly making a lot more sense--he’d probably still been boxing and wrapping the gift up when Yosuke had gotten home, which in retrospect was probably also why Chie and Yukiko had urged him not to rush earlier.)

Still, figuring out the _how_ still didn’t answer the question of _what_ , and so Yosuke got to work pulling off the wrapping paper, tossing it aside and tugging off the tape sealing the top of the large cardboard box, so he could open it to reveal--

Yosuke blinked, staring down into the box in stunned shock.

Inside the box, sitting cross-legged with a bow stuck onto his head as if it was perfectly normal, was none other than Souji Seta himself, who looked up at Yosuke with barely-repressed mirth and gave him a little wave.

“Surprise.”

The sound of Souji’s voice snapped Yosuke out of his stunned stupor, though he still found himself opening and closing his mouth in shock before finally finding his voice.

“How-- when--”

Souji moved to stand up, and Yosuke reached out on reflex to help him, offering his hand and grinning as he felt Souji’s warm hand grasp it and give it a light squeeze in return as he rose to his feet.

He was really here.

Souji, his _partner_ , was here in the flesh for his _birthday_ , when Yosuke had been prepared to not be able to see his boyfriend again for another _month_.

“My uncle managed to convince my parents to let me come for the weekend,” Souji explained, continuing to hold Yosuke’s hand even after he stepped out of the box. “I wanted to surprise you, so I didn’t say anything.”

“Well, I’m definitely surprised,” Yosuke replied with a laugh, before startling both himself and Souji as he impulsively reached out and pulled Souji into a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I’m glad to be here,” Souji replied without missing a beat, hugging Yosuke in return as he murmured, “Happy birthday, partner.”

Yosuke was pretty sure his face was going to split in two from how wide he was beaming, but he couldn’t bring himself to care--not when the most important person in Yosuke’s life had convinced his overly-strict parents to let him come all the way from Tokyo to Inaba just for _him_.

This was officially the best birthday _ever_.

“Wowww, Yosuke really liked his gift, huh? Sensei was right!”

Yosuke yelped and hastily jumped out of the hug at the sound of Teddie’s voice, his face bright red in embarrassment as he turned to find everyone crowded around the doorway watching him--and _was that a video camera in Teddie’s hands?!_

“Can’t I have twenty-four hours without you guys trying to make me die of embarrassment?!” Yosuke exclaimed, swiping at the camera in Teddie’s hands and huffing in flustered irritation as Teddie dodged out of the way. “Dammit Ted--”

Even as the rest of the group watched and laughed as Yosuke scrambled to try and take the camera away from Teddie, Yosuke found himself fighting back a happy grin despite his embarrassment, simply from the feeling of Souji’s eyes on him and the sound of Souji’s laughter mixed in with everyone else’s.

Though he knew he would only have Souji around for another day or two before having to see him off back to Tokyo until summer break, getting to have his partner by his side again was still the best present Yosuke could have ever hoped for.


	3. Day Three: Feel/Windy

There was just something peaceful, Yosuke found, about laying side by side with Souji: it was like all of his anxious thoughts were able to drift away on the breeze that gently brushed over their skin, leaving him feeling relaxed and content in a way that he never could have imagined himself feeling even just a few months ago.

Souji just had that effect on people, he supposed. There was something about his quiet, nonjudgmental presence that eased people into letting their guards down without him needing to do more than offer a patient smile.

Of course, there was more to it than just that--especially now that they could lie next to one another without Yosuke being self-conscious about the lack of space between them, without Yosuke feeling the need to shy away from the warmth that Souji offered without asking anything in return--but it had certainly been a large part of why Yosuke had become able to relax around his partner so easily in such a short period of time.

Once he’d started letting himself open up to Souji, everything had just spiraled from there, in what was probably the best and most terrifying emotional roller coaster that Yosuke had ever been through in his entire life. He’d thought his crush on  _ Saki _ had been bad, but the feelings he’d developed towards his partner had enveloped him like an  _ inferno _ and had only grown stronger the more time he spent in Souji’s presence--and what’s worse was the fact that Souji was a  _ guy _ , and Yosuke didn’t  _ like _ guys, except maybe he  _ did _ like guys or maybe he just liked  _ Souji _ but--

Well, all in all it had been a very confusing, very emotionally exhausting period of his life, one that Yosuke was glad to be done with. The fact that the whole fiasco with Kanji’s Shadow had happened around the same time as his own sexuality crisis hadn’t exactly helped make things any easier, either, and he’d almost shot himself in the foot and ruined any possible chance he might have had of ever getting to be with Souji, but… everything worked out in the end, for once in Yosuke’s life, so he wasn’t about to complain even if there had been a few (or a lot of) bumps along the way.

As if on cue, Yosuke felt a hand brushing against his moments before fingers laced through his own, the sensation bringing a smile to Yosuke’s face even as he felt his cheeks heating up in an embarrassment that was almost reflexive at this point.

Maybe one day he’d be able to give and receive affection in public without getting embarrassed, but considering how he was able to accept it without shying away or recoiling in panic, he figured he was making  _ some _ sort of progress, at least. Baby steps, he supposed.

“What’s on your mind?” Souji asked, his soft voice just barely carrying over the sounds of the light breeze and the quiet gurgling of the Samegawa.

“You,” Yosuke replied without thinking, the honest response slipping out before his brain could catch up with his mouth--but despite the embarrassment that threatened to swallow him whole, burning his entire face all the way to the tips of his ears, he couldn’t find it in himself to retract his reply when he caught sight of Souji’s own (significantly lighter, yet still noticeable) blush out of the corner of his eye.

It was always so rare to catch Souji off-guard, especially enough to fluster him. Yosuke figured he could count that as a win, if nothing else.

Deciding to push the limits of his own embarrassment just for the sake of seeing how red he could make his unflappable partner turn--as well as for the simple sake of wanting to be closer to Souji, something that he’d tried to pretend for months that he didn’t want and was still even now getting used to the idea of being able to freely  _ do _ \--he let go of Souji’s hand in favor of rolling over onto his side, leaning against Souji in a position that was far more comfortable than it had any right to be.

“Us,” Yosuke added for a moment, amending his previous response--and though the word was muffled against Souji’s shirt, one glance up showed that both the word itself and everything else that had been left unsaid had reached Souji loud and clear, given the smile on his face and the color in his cheeks.

“Me too,” Souji replied after a moment, pulling as much of a curious glance from Yosuke as he could give without moving his head too far from its comfortable position. “You’re always on my mind, partner. Us, together.”

Yosuke moved his arm just enough to drape it over Souji and weakly hit a fist against his side, his face burning in embarrassment once more.

“Sap,” he muttered, his tone completely contrasting the silly grin that he was only just barely hiding as he firmly kept his face buried against Souji’s chest.

He kept his hand against Souji as well, uncurling his fingers and letting his palm rest against Souji’s side in what could loosely--very loosely--be considered an embrace.

Baby steps.

“Only for you,” Souji replied, and Yosuke could just  _ hear _ the smile in his voice. It was hard to tell whether he was being serious or just teasing him, but Yosuke had a sneaking suspicion it was a mixture of the two.

He huffed and lightly swatted at Souji’s side again, but said nothing in response, letting a comfortable silence wash over them once more instead.

As embarrassing as it was, Yosuke didn’t think he would ever get used to this feeling of peaceful contentment, of warmth and acceptance and  _ love _ that seemed to emanate off of Souji in silent yet potent waves. It was soothing enough to ease away even the (very real) concerns of potentially being seen essentially cuddling with another guy in public.

Not that Yosuke would stop even if they  _ did _ get caught, of course.

He’d had more than enough of letting other people’s thoughts and opinions controlling his life. It was bad enough that this town had made him feel miserable for a whole year before Souji had shown up and turned his entire world on its head.

It didn’t matter if the whole town turned on him: holding onto these feelings--to  _ Souji _ \--meant more to him than anything in the world.


	4. Day Four: Sound/Rainy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just want to preface this one by saying that I don't have misophonia and I apologize if I got any information/depictions wrong! I just remembered reading a fic a while back with the hc for Yosuke and the idea jumped out at me for this prompt;; It starts off a bit sad but ends on a good note because I'm incapable of not giving fics a happy ending lmao

For as long as he could remember, Yosuke was always very sensitive to sounds. They controlled his mood, affecting him in ways that he knew, even as a kid, weren’t  _ normal _ .

He was constantly told that he was just overreacting. That it was all in his head. That he could learn to deal with noises that he  _ didn’t like _ , just like everyone else.

So he did, because he had no other choice.

The headphones that he wore like a second skin were his only lifeline, the only thing keeping him from lashing out, from breaking down, from  _ screaming _ from the littlest of noises that grated away at his brain, making him shake with nausea and the need to just make it all  _ stop _ . At least with his headphones on, the sounds were dulled, if not outright muted by the constant loop of specifically-picked instrumental songs that were pleasant to listen to and were somewhat able to calm him.

Of course, he couldn’t wear his headphones for every single moment of every single day, but even just having them around his neck helped. It was a reminder that the buffer that he needed was sitting right around his neck, easily accessible if things got too bad--which, even if they did, he tried to tell himself that they  _ weren’t _ because… well, like everyone always told him, it was all just in his head, right? So if he convinced himself he could handle it just by knowing he had an option on hand that could help, then that would be enough to deal with the tapping, the clicking, the chewing, the heavy breathing, the gum-snapping, the shrill laughter, the--

The  _ everything _ , really. It was all just so  _ much _ .

There were only a few sounds outside of the realm of instrumental music that Yosuke found to be soothing, especially upon leaving the bustling (and  _ loud _ ) city of Tokyo for the backwater town of Inaba: the soft sound of a gentle breeze, the quiet gurgling of the Samegawa, the steady pitter-pattering of rain against a window--

And, of all the oddest thing in Yosuke’s entire life, the sound of Souji Seta’s voice.

People’s voices were always too loud, too quiet, too high-pitched, too grating--yet Souji’s was somehow the perfect pitch to not only  _ not _ drive Yosuke insane, but to somehow settle Yosuke’s nerves just about as well as any track on Yosuke’s most calming playlist could. It was soft but not too quiet, firm but not too loud, pitched neither too high nor too low… it was just overall  _ pleasant _ to listen to.

Shame that Souji hardly ever said more than a few words at a time, but in a way Yosuke was kind of glad for it. Surely too much of a good thing would still be too much, right? The last thing he wanted was to get sick of hearing his partner’s voice.

(Not that he thought that he could ever actually get sick of listening to such a pleasant sound, but it was just so  _ rare _ to find someone that he actually  _ liked _ listening to that he couldn’t help but be afraid of ruining it somehow, irrational as it may have been for him to think.)

Of course, he could never actually say something so embarrassing to Souji himself, nor could he bring himself to mention his weird issues with sounds to any of his friends--despite knowing that out of all the people he’d ever encountered in his life, they would be the most likely to hear him out and believe that it wasn’t just in his head--so all he could do was take the brief moments of reprieve as they came, while grinning and bearing everything else.

* * *

Once he and Souji began dating, everything in Yosuke’s life changed.

Yosuke had known in his heart that Souji would hear him out, yet he hadn’t expected him to be so  _ accommodating _ , so constantly aware of even the littlest of noises that could potentially bother or upset Yosuke in some way. Embarrassing as it was at times, it was also sweet of him, and it quickly became yet another reason why Yosuke was so enamored with his partner.

After all, no one had ever gone so above and beyond for him before. Though he would never admit it aloud, Yosuke had a feeling that even if he hadn’t already been in love with Souji, that alone would have tipped the scales in his favor.

Not that he was the type to fall in love with the first person to show him genuine care and affection, but… in his defense, Souji was just an overall incredible person, who practically half of Inaba had fallen for--so really, it was more of a surprise that  _ Souji _ had fallen for  _ him _ rather than the other way around, not that Yosuke was complaining.

Souji had also taken to speaking more around Yosuke, once Yosuke finally worked up the nerve to confess to him that he found his voice soothing to listen to--granted, it was usually only within the privacy of Souji’s bedroom, since Souji admitted that he felt self-conscious about speaking too much (something that Yosuke couldn’t entirely wrap his mind around, considering what a nice voice Souji had and how he never made a fool of himself when he spoke like Yosuke constantly did), but in a way Yosuke was grateful for it.

When they were together in Souji’s bedroom, they could relax on Souji’s futon: with Yosuke’s head comfortably resting against Souji’s chest as he listened to the soothing sounds of Souji’s strong, even heartbeat, his quiet breathing, and his steady voice reading aloud from whatever book Souji was in the middle of at the moment, the words themselves hardly registering in Yosuke’s serene state.

Though he knew each time that he would have to leave this comfortable, peaceful bubble eventually--as he slowly drifted off to the tune of the steady ebb and flow of Souji’s voice combined with the distant sound of raindrops gently pattering against Souji’s bedroom window, along with the feeling of Souji’s fingers gently brushing through his hair lulling him even further into a state of drowsy relaxation--he still couldn’t help but indulge in the moments of tranquil, affectionate bliss that only his partner could ever provide.


	5. Day Five: Taste/Snowy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Yosuke I swear I love you even if most of the time I write your life as a series of unfortunate events lmao

Living with Souji was one of the best decisions (if not  _ the _ best decision) Yosuke had ever made in his entire life, hands-down.

Even if the two of them hadn’t started dating back in their third year of high school, Yosuke had a feeling that they still would have ended up as roommates, if only because--well, who in their right mind would pass up on getting to have the great  _ Souji Seta _ as a roommate? The guy could cook better than any professional chef, he actually  _ enjoyed _ cleaning and doing laundry like some sort of housewife, and he was so on top of making and sticking to schedules that he somehow had Yosuke’s own school and work schedules memorized better than Yosuke himself, which saved Yosuke’s ass multiple times from missing out on a shift at work or almost forgetting to do an assignment for one of his classes.

Overall, he was a godsend of a roommate--almost to the point where Yosuke felt guilty, like he wasn’t contributing enough to alleviate some of the burden off of his partner’s shoulders.

“Your presence is more than enough,” Souji always told him whenever he offered to try and do something to help, which was another thing that Yosuke was sure Souji would have told him regardless of whether or not they were dating. As quiet and reserved as he often came off as, Souji was also an incredibly honest and straightforward person, especially when it came to expressing his feelings towards the people he cared about.

Still, as much as he appreciated the reminder that Souji was happy simply from having him here by his side (even if the feeling was bittersweet at times, knowing all the loneliness that Souji must have endured throughout his entire life for him to be satisfied with something so simple), Yosuke wasn’t the type of person to just sit back and let his partner do everything. Even if it was just occasionally slipping into the kitchen to do the dishes before Souji could get to them, or going food shopping on his way home from work when he knew Souji was too busy studying for exams to restock the fridge, or--on the very rare occasion that Yosuke was feeling brave--bringing their dirty laundry down to the laundromat and praying to every god in existence that Souji’s white shirts wouldn’t somehow all turn pink again (or gray, or blue on one very weird occasion that left even  _ Souji _ stumped), he had to do  _ something _ to feel like he was being useful to his overachieving partner.

Plus, it was always worth the effort whenever he got to see that small, surprised smile spread across Souji’s face, his gaze lighting up with a look of warm affection that never failed to send Yosuke’s heart into overdrive, even after dating Souji for well over a year now.

So that’s why Yosuke was currently trudging home through the snow, carefully trying to balance both the bags of groceries in his arms and the umbrella that was more for the sake of keeping his purchases dry than to keep the snow off of himself.

Yosuke knew that Souji had been working his ass off this past week, between final exams and a huge project for his job, so it was the perfect opportunity for him to put to use the few cooking skills he’d picked up from constantly watching Souji in the kitchen in order to cook a nice, big dinner for the two of them.

It was the perfect plan to bring a smile to Souji’s face, at a time when his partner could use a pick-me-up the most.

Absolutely nothing could possibly go wrong.

* * *

Absolutely everything possible was going wrong.

Yosuke would have screamed in frustration if he wasn’t trying to avoid attracting Souji’s attention, since he was still holed up in their bedroom with his nose in a textbook, so instead Yosuke settled for digging his fingers into his hair as he tried to make sense of how he’d messed things up this badly.

Of course, the laundry list of problems had started before Yosuke even had a chance to walk through the door, when one of the grocery bags that he’d been carrying ripped on the bottom and sent all of the contents--including a brand new carton of eggs--crashing to the floor. Thankfully aside from the eggs, everything else was fine, but having to cram the groceries into the other already-full grocery bags (he abandoned the carton of shattered eggs in a nearby garbage can and mourned the loss of both the perfectly good eggs and the money he’d spent on them) and then having to carry the overflowing bags the rest of the way back to their apartment was already enough to edge his mood over from excited to stressed.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, he then almost slipped and fell on the wet floor in the lobby of their apartment building as soon as he stepped foot inside, nearly dropping  _ all _ of the groceries. Thankfully he managed to regain his balance in time, but he could still hear his heart pounding in his ears even after he safely made it all the way upstairs and into their apartment with his arms filled with bulging, getting-heavier-by-the-minute grocery bags.

He also then belatedly realized--as he, by some miracle, managed to open the apartment door and close it behind him without dropping anything--that when the grocery bag with the eggs had broken, he’d dropped his umbrella in his haste to try and pick up everything and cram them into the rest of the grocery bags before rushing back to his apartment building without it, meaning not only did he lose out on a carton of eggs, but he’d also lost what had been his favorite umbrella.

At least that one he could try and console himself with the thought of someone less fortunate finding it and using it to keep dry. It wouldn’t be a  _ complete _ loss, in that case.

Yosuke figured that the worst had to be over now that he was back home, but after he finished putting away the groceries and started taking out everything that he would need to prepare their dinner, he came to the sudden realization that while he could clearly remember numerous occasions of seeing Souji moving around the kitchen preparing food, he couldn’t remember the  _ exact _ steps that he took. What spices did he use? How long was he supposed to leave the food on the stove for? He knew what ingredients to use, thankfully, but everything else in between “put the food in the pot” and “eat the finished meal” were one long blur now that he was standing in front of the stove all by himself, without Souji’s guidance.

Still, he couldn’t let himself give up hope just yet. If he couldn’t remember how Souji did it, then surely there had to be a recipe online that he could use, right?

Turns out there  _ were _ recipes online--a lot of them, in fact.  _ Too _ many. He’d hoped that seeing a recipe would help jog his memory, but all of the recipes he was finding had different variations, and Yosuke for the life of him couldn’t tell which one was closest to how Souji did it, which was only serving to further stress him out.

He didn’t buy enough ingredients to make multiple attempts. All he could do now was pick one of the many recipes on his phone and hope for the best.

So he chose the one with all the ingredients and spices that Yosuke knew for a fact that they had on hand, figuring that was as good a start as any--after all, if the other recipes had spices listed that they didn’t have in their cabinet, that had to mean that it wasn’t a recipe that Souji used, right?

(Unless it was just something that they’d ran out of, and Yosuke didn’t know they needed it because he never even  _ looked _ in the spice cabinet, and he was going to mess this up because he was missing something important and--)

Yosuke forced himself to take a deep breath, letting it out slowly in an attempt to calm down and focus.

It was just one meal. He was capable of cooking on his own, even if he’d never tried to cook anything more than a few simple dishes without Souji’s supervision.

He repeated his reassurances to himself as he carefully went through the steps, one at a time--

\--only to end up with a pot of what looked to be more like sludge than the stew he’d been going for, which had seemed like a perfect idea to warm them up on a cold, snowy night but was now looking like a disaster.

His fingers unclenched from their grip on his hair, his arms falling limply to his sides as his shoulders slumped in defeat.

Maybe he should just call it quits and order them a pizza before--

“Yosuke?”

_Crap_.

Yosuke tensed up at the sound of Souji’s voice, mortified shame immediately heating up his cheeks as he whirled around and tried in vain to hide the pot behind his back.

“H-hey partner! I, uh… thought you were still studying.”

Souji raised an eyebrow as he tried to lean around Yosuke and take a look at the stove. “Well, I  _ was _ , but then I smelled something cooking out here and got curious.”

Yosuke winced guiltily--so not only had he messed up their dinner, but he’d also distracted Souji from his studying. Great. Just great.

“Sorry,” Yosuke muttered, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding Souji’s gaze. “I kind of… wanted to surprise you with dinner, but I couldn’t remember your recipe, and there were a lot of recipes online, and I somehow still managed to mess it up even following the one recipe I decided to try and use--”

“You didn’t mess it up,” Souji replied, startling Yosuke out of his ramblings.

“Huh?”

Yosuke blinked dazedly as Souji gently nudged him aside so he could properly look into the pot, before going and filling up a glass of filtered water.

“It just dried up a bit, you probably didn’t add enough water,” Souji explained as he poured the water into the pot and carefully mixed it in, “and I’m assuming you stirred it a bit more than you needed to, since some of the vegetables started breaking down and melting--but that doesn’t mean you messed it up. As long as it still tastes good, then who cares how it looks?”

“But-- but what if it doesn’t--” Yosuke stammered, only to watch as Souji took out a spoon and carefully helped himself to a spoonful of the stew straight out of the pot, giving it a moment to cool off before tasting it with no hesitation.

Yosuke nervously shifted from foot to foot, watching Souji like a hawk for even the slightest signs of disgust--except instead of the revulsion he was bracing himself for, Yosuke saw Souji’s lips quirk upwards into the small, pleased smile that he’d already given up hope of getting to see.

“Like I figured, it tastes perfect,” Souji declared, turning the full force of that sweet smile over to Yosuke and nearly making him melt in relief on the spot in response. “Could probably use a bit more seasoning, especially since I just watered it down a bit, but… Yosuke, you really need to have more confidence in yourself. This was incredible for a first attempt.”

Yosuke felt as if all the blood in his body decided at that moment to relocate into his face, from the bottom of his neck all the way up to the tips of his ears--and yet despite his embarrassment, he couldn’t help but smile from the praise.

It was hard to say whether it meant so much because he loved Souji, or because he respected Souji’s abilities in the kitchen, but regardless… if Souji was that insistent on him having more confidence in his cooking, then maybe he really  _ was _ just being too hard on himself.

(He wasn’t entirely sure he’d remember that the next time he freaked out over trying to cook any other complicated meals on his own, but for now it was a reassuring thought, at least.)

By the time the stew finished cooking, it unfortunately looked a bit more like a pot full of slop than the aesthetically-pleasing dish that Souji usually made--but as he watched Souji gratefully help himself to not just one, but two huge bowlfuls with a smile on his face, he found it hard not to savor every last spoonful from his own bowl, pride and warm affection providing the last bit of seasoning to finally make his meal taste like a success.


	6. Day Six: Scent/Stormy

There was something about thunderstorms that always felt soothing to Souji, ever since he was a young child, and the feeling only seemed to grow stronger after obtaining his Persona.

He supposed it had something to do with the electricity that ran like a current through his veins, familiar and reassuring, a power meant to protect the people he cared about.

(To protect Yosuke, who was as weak to electricity as Souji was to wind--which really should have been the first sign that the two of them were practically made for one another, that they were unable to resist each other from the very beginning, but it took a lot of side-stepping and denial and awkwardly hesitant maybe-sorta-kinda flirting before they both were able to let it sink in that there was no one else they would rather be with than each other, that it was  _ okay _ that they felt such a strong, deep bond between them.)

Regardless, whenever he could see a storm on the horizon, whenever he could smell the shift in the air that signaled that the skies would be opening up any minute, Souji felt as if a part of him was settling in peaceful contentment, like a cat curling up in a patch of sunlight--especially out in Inaba, where the storms came often and were undisturbed by the sounds of bustling city life.

He could spend hours sitting just outside the sliding glass doors in the back of the Dojima household--sometimes with Nanako on his lap as he hugged her like a human-sized pillow, other times with only his own thoughts for company--just breathing in the petrichor lingering in the air, listening to the distant rumble of thunder and watching the occasional streak of lightning across the sky.

With the addition of Yosuke in his life--as  _ partner _ -partners, and not just partners--came a new tradition of Yosuke joining him outside as well, on the few occasions that he was over while storm clouds slowly gathered in the sky and the leaves of the vegetables in Nanako’s garden began to sway from the wind picking up.

“You really love this kind of weather, huh partner?” Yosuke remarked offhandedly, as he found Souji sitting outside watching the rain fall. With a fondly exasperated smile, he stepped back inside for a minute before rejoining Souji outside with two blankets in his arms, one of which he tossed over Souji’s shoulders as he added, “If you’re gonna sit outside in this weather, at least bundle up or something next time. Spring’s almost here, but it’s still cold out, you know.”

Yosuke pulled the other blanket around himself for warmth before crouching down behind Souji and comfortably draping himself against him, resting his chin on Souji’s shoulder and slipping his arms out from under the blanket just enough to snake them around Souji’s waist.

Souji let out a quiet hum of contentment in response, the small smile on his face widening just a fraction as he lightly leaned back against Yosuke in return.

“Why bundle up when I have you to help keep me warm?” Souji replied, a quiet chuckle slipping out as he saw Yosuke roll his eyes out of the corner of his vision and felt Yosuke lightly poke his stomach in response.

“Because I know you do this stuff even when I’m not here.” Yosuke frowned slightly, a light hint of a blush coloring his cheeks as he muttered, “Don’t make me worry about you. You already gave me enough of a heart attack when you got sick last month.”

Souji tilted his head just enough to nuzzle against Yosuke, before turning slightly in Yosuke’s arms to offer a light press of his lips against his partner’s temple in apology.

“I’ll be more careful, I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Yosuke replied, his frown softening into a small smile from Souji’s affectionate actions. He leaned around enough to press a proper kiss to Souji’s lips, lingering for a moment before pulling back at the sound of thunder in the distance. “Shouldn’t we go inside before the storm gets any worse?”

Souji’s lips curved downward into the slightest hint of a pout. “It barely even started.” He paused for a moment before adding, “And it feels nice out here.”

“Yeah, with me keeping you warm,” Yosuke retorted, rolling his eyes as Souji leaned back against him in response. “Fine, fine. I guess a few more minutes won’t hurt.”

Souji knew that even despite Yosuke’s complaints and worrying, he wouldn’t force Souji back inside even after a few minutes had already passed by: not when they were both sitting so comfortably, nestled against one another as their shared body heat staved off the lingering chill in the air, with an easy, relaxed silence between them while their gazes remained locked onto the clouds in the sky to watch for flashes of lightning. As Souji relaxed further into Yosuke’s embrace, feeling completely at peace, he couldn’t help but smile as the breeze carried over to him the pleasant combination of petrichor and a scent that Souji could only ever describe as  _ Yosuke _ , faint yet immediately recognizable from all the times that he’d rested his face against Yosuke’s chest, or in Yosuke’s hair, or in the crook of Yosuke’s neck.

Two of Souji’s favorite things, combined into one.

The combination brought with it a state of peace and tranquility that Souji had never been able to achieve on his own--nor had he been able to achieve it over the past few months even with Yosuke by his side, not with the threat of kidnappings and murders weighing down on him, preventing him from enjoying the stormy weather that he normally loved so much. Yet now that the case was solved and peace had been restored to Inaba, Souji finally felt like he could  _ breathe _ , could stop and relax and just let himself enjoy the things that he loved and the people that he loved to be with.

It was a shame that there was only a month left now for him to enjoy all of this, but… he would be back. He couldn’t leave Inaba (couldn’t leave  _ Yosuke _ ) behind for long, after all. This was where his heart was, and where it always would be.

Though he knew this perfect moment couldn’t possibly last forever, Souji still selfishly found himself hoping that it would at least last just a little bit longer--just long enough for him to engrave the memory into his mind alongside all the other moments spent by Yosuke’s side, to get him through this next year until he could finally come back home where he belonged.


	7. Day Seven: Sight/Foggy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's brief November spoilers and some near-endgame spoilers in this one, so keep that in mind before reading!

Though Souji initially half-jokingly worried that he would be set off by rainy nights long after the murder case had been solved, he was surprised to find that it wasn’t the sound of rain pattering against his window at midnight that made his heart race in panic, but rather the sight of fog rolling in and obscuring his vision.

The fog didn't come often, nor was it ever that sickly suffocating yellow that it had been back in Inaba, yet Souji couldn’t stop the swell of dread--or the instinctive need to grab for his glasses to try and clear his vision--any time he stepped out of his apartment building and into a world that was shrouded in fog.

The glasses never worked. It was somehow both nauseating and relieving each time the realization set in.

He wasn’t entirely sure if the rest of his friends had the same ingrained reaction to something as simple as the weather, but judging by how restless Yosuke seemed to grow every time the weather forecast predicted rain throughout the night (how he paced the floor of their bedroom, his eyes glued to the TV, until Souji could manage to coax him to bed with the reminder that it was  _ okay _ , it was  _ over _ ), he knew he wasn’t the only one suffering from the trauma of having to be on such high alert--people’s lives had been on the line, after all. That was a huge responsibility for any normal person to shoulder, let alone a bunch of teenagers in high school. Honestly, Souji had no idea how they even managed to survive such a stressful year without any of them cracking under the pressure.

He knew that he himself had only gotten through that year because he’d had his friends by his side, supporting him and helping him stay strong throughout even the worst and most painful moments ( _ the white walls, the sterile smell, a small frail body hooked up to all sorts of machinery, the sound of a flatlining heart monitor _ ), and he could only hope that he’d provided even a fraction of support for them in turn.

Yet even knowing that his friends were dealing with the same troubles as he was, there was still a part of him that was reluctant to give voice to his own issues--though whether it was because he felt like he had to be the strong, reliable leader that they all saw him as, or just because he didn’t want to burden any of them by dumping his own problems on top of theirs was anyone’s guess. So he did all that he could to tolerate the pounding of his heart and the adrenaline pumping through his veins; to keep his hands from scrambling for glasses that wouldn’t work; to calmly and rationally remind himself that just because he was having trouble seeing through the fog, that didn’t mean it was the same thick, dangerous fog that blinded his vision and seized his lungs in a vice-grip, seeping through the windows and walls until there was no safe space left--

It was  _ okay _ . It was  _ over _ .

He just had to keep reminding himself, repeating the reassurances that he gave so easily to others in hopes that they would ease his own anxiety.

(It never worked, but at least he could say he tried.)

Of course, sharing an apartment with Yosuke meant that his boyfriend--who was far more observant than most people gave him credit for--would eventually pick up on Souji’s jittery, distressed behavior, and there was only so many times that Souji could pin the blame onto his workload for school and his job before Yosuke picked up on the unavoidable pattern.

“It’s the fog, isn’t it,” Yosuke remarked with a hint of guilt, the pieces finally clicking into place as he watched Souji reflexively tense up as soon as his gaze happened to move towards the nearby window.

Souji averted his gaze--away from both the window and Yosuke--and instead returned his focus to what he was  _ supposed _ to be doing: making dinner for the two of them, so they could sit and relax together on their increasingly-rare shared night off.

“It’s a bit ridiculous, I know,” Souji replied with a forced, wry smile, his hands thankfully not faltering in their work as he continued preparing the food, moving purely on muscle memory. “It’s been… what, a year and a half now?”

“Partner, you know trauma doesn’t just  _ go away _ ,” Yosuke replied, and even with Souji’s back to him he could still hear the frown in Yosuke’s tone. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize sooner--I mean, you’ve been dealing with me acting like a nervous wreck every time it so much as  _ drizzles _ at night. I just….”

Yosuke trailed off into silence, and when it became apparent that he wasn’t going to say anything else, Souji finished his thought for him.

“You just thought that because I can stay calm when it’s raining out, that meant I must be fine.”

Souji could practically  _ hear _ Yosuke wince in response, and even he himself couldn’t help but grimace at the unintentionally sharp tone his words had taken.

“Souji, I’m sorry--”

“No, Yosuke, it’s okay. Sorry, that came out more harshly than I meant it to,” Souji quickly replied, reluctantly turning his attention away from their dinner so he could properly face his boyfriend. “It’s my own fault, really. I just… never wanted to burden you--or any of our friends, really--when I knew you were all still dealing with your own trauma. I tried to convince myself that I could handle it on my own, and I purposely avoided letting anyone find out. That’s not your fault at all.”

Yosuke let out a long sigh before meeting Souji’s gaze, his expression a cross between irritated and understanding.

“I get it. I don’t  _ like _ it, but I get it.” Yosuke ran a hand through his hair, a frown still on his face. “Ted and I usually helped each other out when it got too bad, Chie and Yukiko always go to each other, Kanji has Naoto… even Rise has Kanami to fall back on while she’s out on tour--but you… you’ve been dealing with this all on your own this whole time. I wish you would’ve reached out to us--to  _ me _ \--but… I guess that doesn’t matter right now. What’s done is done, as bad as I feel about not being there for you this whole time, and blaming  _ either _ of us won’t change anything.”

“Yosuke--”

Before Souji could so much as finish his thought, Yosuke’s arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a firm embrace--and almost immediately, Souji felt the tension that he hadn’t even realized was in his body melting away as he leaned into the embrace.

“Just because you were our leader, that doesn’t mean you always have to be the strong one, you know,” Yosuke continued, his tone toeing the line between teasing and chiding. “We’re  _ partners _ , remember? So if you can support me when I’m freaking out over some stupid rain, then I can support you when you’re freaking out over it being a bit foggy out. Okay?”

Despite the traces of guilt that still lingered in his chest and clenched at his heart, Souji couldn’t help but smile in response as he closed his eyes and rested his head against Yosuke’s shoulder.

“Okay.”

“Good.” Yosuke hugged Souji a bit tighter as he pressed a kiss to the top of his head, before pulling back just enough to give his boyfriend a grin. “How about we just forget about the whole home-cooked meal thing and just order some food and relax for the night?”

Souji frowned slightly. “But--”

Yosuke silenced his protests with a kiss, and Souji immediately knew that he’d lost the fight before it could even begin as he melted into the kiss just as easily as he had into Yosuke’s embrace.

“I guess it won’t hurt to leave everything in the refrigerator for one more day,” Souji reluctantly conceded after they broke the kiss--which seemed to be good enough for Yosuke, as he pulled out of the hug with a grin still on his face so he could take out his phone and pull up the number to their usual place.

As Souji got to work cleaning up the kitchen and putting everything back into the refrigerator, with Yosuke rattling off their order over the phone with practiced ease in the background, his gaze happened to land on the window once more--and though there was still an instinctive rush of panic at the visible fog in the air, his spiked heart rate quickly settled as he turned his gaze over to focus on Yosuke instead.

The fear wasn’t gone  _ completely _ , of course, but with the knowledge that he could allow himself to lean on his partner for support, physically, mentally, and emotionally…

Souji knew he would be okay--if not now, then someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that marks the end of Souyo week! I'm really glad I was able to participate in this event again this year, these events are always so much fun and it's so great to get to interact with everyone and see everyone's incredible contributions ;u; Thank you so much to everyone who read, kudo'd, commented, bookmarked, or even just stopped in for a quick look! <3


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